Johannesburg - Electricity utility Eskom has unveiled the terms of reference of an enquiry into various problems facing the company which will take the form of a three-legged probe.
The enquiry, first announced on March 12, was preceded by the suspension of four of its executives, including CEO Tshediso Matona.
ANA can now reveal that the probe will have a commercial forensic, a financial forensic and a technical forensic component.
The commercial leg of the investigation will be headed by Grant Thornton, while two leading auditing firms are being considered for the financial leg.
The technical aspect of the enquiry will be led by an engineering firm.
The probe is being co-ordinated by consultant Nick Linnell.
ANA can also confirm that the enquiry will be overseen, but not actually led, by a retired judge who has not yet been selected. The external oversight is meant to ensure the independence of the enquiry and safeguard the integrity of the forensic investigations.
Announcing the enquiry, Eskom Chairman Zola Tsotsi, who will lead the enquiry in a move that has been widely criticised, said the enquiry will seek to address a number of challenges faced by the utility.
Eskom has had to undertake load shedding since 2008 and is currently awaiting a R23 billion cash injection form government.
The key areas to be investigated will be the poor performance of the system, the cause of delays for bringing new capacity on stream, as well as the high cost of primary energy and cash flow problems.
The enquiry, set to get underway next week, is expected to last about three months.
ANA